This invention relates to a smoke rack, and more particularly, to a variable reel for forming and cooking beef sticks and/or sausages of user-selectable lengths thereon.
Various methods are known to form sausage links before cooking. In some cases this operation includes measuring a link of the sausage and stuffing the sausage casing by hand. Obviously such method is a slow one and leads to variations in the lengths of the sausage links. Once such links are formed, they are then transported to an oven for smoking/cooking.
Devices have been utilized to form sausage links and support the links thereon for cooking. However, such devices, as shown in the Miller patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,592,939, and/or the Harmon patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,780,831 do not provide means for varying the sausage lengths and then efficiently cook the same.
In response thereto I have invented a sausage reel which enables the user to efficiently wind a continuous uniform sausage about the reel and form the wound sausage into defined lengths for subsequent cooking. Subsequent to cooking a plurality of sausages of the defined lengths are then cut from the reel. My device enables the user to efficiently form and cook sausages of various lengths without degradation of the smoking/cooking efficiency.
Generally, my device comprises first and second end plates having a plurality of releasable bars extending therebetween to form a bar array. Upon rotation of the reel within a support stand a continuous sausage is wound about the support bar array with the adjacent bars defining the opposed ends of a portion of the sausage extending therebetween. The reel is then placed in an oven or smoke truck for subsequent cooking. Upon removal the bars serve as end guides for cutting the ends of the wound sausage portions to present links. The bars are releasably mounted between the plates to allow for user-selectable spacing of the bars. Thus at least first and second reels can be alternatively presented. Each reel presents a bar array having a user-selectable distance between adjacent bars of the bar array. Such distances correspond to user selectable lengths of the sausage portion extending therebetween.
It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide a device which efficiently forms and smokes a plurality of beef sticks or sausage links.
Another object of this invention is to provide a device, as aforesaid, which presents first or second sausage reels as presented by a releasable support bar array.
A further object of this invention is to provide a sausage reel, as aforesaid, which is easily used with a conventional smoker oven.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a sausage reel, as aforesaid, which allows the user to easily cut a continuous sausage wound about the reel into a plurality of sausage links.
A still more particular object of this invention is to provide a sausage reel, as aforesaid, which allows the user to change the configuration of a support bar array and the length of the resulting sausage links.
Still a further object of this invention is to provide a sausage reel, as aforesaid, which is rotatable within a stand so as to enhance winding of a continuous sausage around the reel.
Another object of this invention is to provide a sausage reel, as aforesaid, which allows for even heat and smoke penetration onto the sausage wound around the reel.
Another particular object of the invention is to provide a sausage reel, as aforesaid, which provides guide means for a cutting edge to sever the smoked sausage into a plurality of fixed sausage links.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are now set forth by way of illustration and example a now preferred embodiment of this invention.